COVID-19: 12 cases in Osun were imported by foreigners - State govt
- The Osun government has spoken on the identities of 12 confirmed cases in the state
- The state's chief press secretary, Ismail Omipidan, revealed that the cases were from Ivory Coast
- Omipidan said that the returnees were 127 in number and that 12 of them tested positive for the virus
The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Osun (12 at the moment) has triggered widespread reactions from residents mounting pressure on the state government.
In light of this, Ismail Omipidan, the chief press secretary to Governor Gboyega Oyetola, has come out to explain how the state came about that number.
Omipidan in a press statement released on Wednesday, April 1, pointed out that the persons who tested positive for the virus were actually 127 returnees who arrived the state on Saturday, March 28, but were prevented from having contact with indigenes, The Nation reports.
She revealed that the returnees, who came from Ivory Coast, were indigenes of Anambra, Kwara, Oyo, Ekiti and Edo, adding that those who tested positive have been taken to an isolation centre in Ejigbo.
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The chief press secretary said: “Between Saturday and Tuesday, 24 samples of the returnees were sent for COVID-19 testing and three of the samples came back positive.
“Another 47 samples were sent for testing again and the result came back today (yesterday) with nine more persons testing positive."
The state's spokesperson added that the results of 56 persons are yet to be released and that the help of the federal government to handle the confirmed cases is desperately needed.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that following the confirmation of the second case of coronavirus in the state, the Osun government had announced the total lockdown of the state starting from Tuesday, March 31.
The government reaffirmed the commitment to shut down all the land boundaries effective from midnight, Sunday, March 29.
Legit.ng gathered that the governor of the state, Adegboyega Oyetola, made the disclosure during a statewide broadcast on the morning of Sunday, March 29.
Oyetola maintained that there would be no movement within the state during the shutdown while those on essential duties such as health personnel, fire service, environmental officials, security personnel, power and water supply agencies, media and telecommunication officers would be on duty.
He described the decision as imperative in view of the devastating nature of the pandemic, adding that the first priority of any responsive and responsible government is to respond effectively to protect its citizens when an emergency occurs.
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Source: Legit.ng